Offseason Thread

[Goldstar88]

Good news for those in the Anti-Doris camp.

For the fourth time since firing Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, ESPN/ABC will have a new lead NBA broadcast team.

ESPN is replacing Doris Burke with Tim Legler on its top NBA broadcast team, Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reported Thursday. Legler will join Mike Breen and Richard Jefferson on the ?A? team, marking a quick ascension for the longtime analyst who began regularly calling games last year.

Burke, the first woman to serve as a game analyst on one of the ?Big Four? major championship events, is expected to move to ESPN?s #2 broadcast team. ESPN in talks with her on a contract extension, per Marchand.

ESPN?s lead NBA booth has been in a constant state of flux in the mere two years since the network fired Van Gundy and Jackson. Breen paired with Van Gundy and/or Jackson on ESPN?s lead team from 2006-23, with the three of them working together on 15 NBA Finals (2007-11, 2014-23).

Initially, ESPN went with Burke and new hire Doc Rivers to replace Van Gundy and Jackson, but that plan fell apart with Rivers left after mere months to return to coaching. He was replaced by J.J. Redick, who left at the end of the season for a coaching job. ESPN started last season with a rotation of analysts joining Breen and Burke before deciding on Jefferson midway through.

Between Breen, Burke and Rivers, Breen, Burke and Redick, Breen, Burke and Jefferson and now Breen, Jefferson and Legler, ESPN has had nearly as many lead broadcast teams in the past two years as it did in its first five ? when it cycled through different lead broadcast teams every year (Brad Nessler and Bill Walton; Nessler, Walton and Tom Tolbert; Al Michaels and Rivers; Michaels and Hubie Brown; Breen and Brown).

As for Legler, the longest-tenured ESPN analyst has been with the network since before it acquired rights to the league ? part of an ESPN NBA roster that included Fred Carter and Jason Jackson. He has held prominent studio roles, including as part of ESPN?s lead ?NBA Shootaround? team that may be best remembered for being on-air the night of the ?Malice at the Palace,? but did not begin a regular game analyst role until the 2024 playoffs.

Yes!!! Thank you! This is incredible news!

[Who]

Good news for those in the Anti-Doris camp.

For the fourth time since firing Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, ESPN/ABC will have a new lead NBA broadcast team.

ESPN is replacing Doris Burke with Tim Legler on its top NBA broadcast team, Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reported Thursday. Legler will join Mike Breen and Richard Jefferson on the ?A? team, marking a quick ascension for the longtime analyst who began regularly calling games last year.

Burke, the first woman to serve as a game analyst on one of the ?Big Four? major championship events, is expected to move to ESPN?s #2 broadcast team. ESPN in talks with her on a contract extension, per Marchand.

ESPN?s lead NBA booth has been in a constant state of flux in the mere two years since the network fired Van Gundy and Jackson. Breen paired with Van Gundy and/or Jackson on ESPN?s lead team from 2006-23, with the three of them working together on 15 NBA Finals (2007-11, 2014-23).

Initially, ESPN went with Burke and new hire Doc Rivers to replace Van Gundy and Jackson, but that plan fell apart with Rivers left after mere months to return to coaching. He was replaced by J.J. Redick, who left at the end of the season for a coaching job. ESPN started last season with a rotation of analysts joining Breen and Burke before deciding on Jefferson midway through.

Between Breen, Burke and Rivers, Breen, Burke and Redick, Breen, Burke and Jefferson and now Breen, Jefferson and Legler, ESPN has had nearly as many lead broadcast teams in the past two years as it did in its first five ? when it cycled through different lead broadcast teams every year (Brad Nessler and Bill Walton; Nessler, Walton and Tom Tolbert; Al Michaels and Rivers; Michaels and Hubie Brown; Breen and Brown).

As for Legler, the longest-tenured ESPN analyst has been with the network since before it acquired rights to the league ? part of an ESPN NBA roster that included Fred Carter and Jason Jackson. He has held prominent studio roles, including as part of ESPN?s lead ?NBA Shootaround? team that may be best remembered for being on-air the night of the ?Malice at the Palace,? but did not begin a regular game analyst role until the 2024 playoffs.

Yes!!! Thank you! This is inedible news!

+1 Good riddance

[slamtheking]

Good news for those in the Anti-Doris camp.

For the fourth time since firing Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, ESPN/ABC will have a new lead NBA broadcast team.

ESPN is replacing Doris Burke with Tim Legler on its top NBA broadcast team, Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reported Thursday. Legler will join Mike Breen and Richard Jefferson on the ?A? team, marking a quick ascension for the longtime analyst who began regularly calling games last year.

Burke, the first woman to serve as a game analyst on one of the ?Big Four? major championship events, is expected to move to ESPN?s #2 broadcast team. ESPN in talks with her on a contract extension, per Marchand.

ESPN?s lead NBA booth has been in a constant state of flux in the mere two years since the network fired Van Gundy and Jackson. Breen paired with Van Gundy and/or Jackson on ESPN?s lead team from 2006-23, with the three of them working together on 15 NBA Finals (2007-11, 2014-23).

Initially, ESPN went with Burke and new hire Doc Rivers to replace Van Gundy and Jackson, but that plan fell apart with Rivers left after mere months to return to coaching. He was replaced by J.J. Redick, who left at the end of the season for a coaching job. ESPN started last season with a rotation of analysts joining Breen and Burke before deciding on Jefferson midway through.

Between Breen, Burke and Rivers, Breen, Burke and Redick, Breen, Burke and Jefferson and now Breen, Jefferson and Legler, ESPN has had nearly as many lead broadcast teams in the past two years as it did in its first five ? when it cycled through different lead broadcast teams every year (Brad Nessler and Bill Walton; Nessler, Walton and Tom Tolbert; Al Michaels and Rivers; Michaels and Hubie Brown; Breen and Brown).

As for Legler, the longest-tenured ESPN analyst has been with the network since before it acquired rights to the league ? part of an ESPN NBA roster that included Fred Carter and Jason Jackson. He has held prominent studio roles, including as part of ESPN?s lead ?NBA Shootaround? team that may be best remembered for being on-air the night of the ?Malice at the Palace,? but did not begin a regular game analyst role until the 2024 playoffs.

Yes!!! Thank you! This is inedible news!

"inedible"?  I'm just eating this up!   

[Who]

The Warriors are expected to sign Al Horford, De'Anthony Melton, Gary Payton II, and second-round pick Will Richard pending roster clarity. These moves have been delayed by the Kuminga negotiations and luxury tax implications.

The two defensive guards Melton and GP2 would be great additions along with Horford. GSW always play well when they have a top defensive guard out there alongside Steph to help their perimeter defense. Although maybe that need is less now that Jimmy is there at SF.

The Sacramento Kings continue to "covet" Russell Westbrook, sources told Jake Fischer of The People's Insider.

In order to make room in the backcourt for Westbrook's signing, people around the league see Devin Carter as a likely trade candidate.

That would be insane. Sacrificing a young player with potential for a journeyman bench player like Westbrook.

[Donoghus]

Shams Charania
@ShamsCharania
?
23s
Dallas Mavericks forward PJ Washington has agreed to a four-year, $90 million contract extension with the franchise, agent Kevin Bradbury of LIFT Sports Management told ESPN. Washington secures a new deal that keeps him in Dallas through 2029-30.

[Roy H.]

Restricted free agent Cam Thomas is signing a one-year, $6 million qualifying offer to return to the Brooklyn Nets, sources told ESPN on Thursday.

The Nets were unable to reach a long-term deal with Thomas, so the 23-year-old high-scoring guard opted for the qualifying offer that gives him a full no-trade clause and sets him for unrestricted free agency next summer with at least 10 teams set to have cap space.

[Celtics2021]

Cam Thomas signed his $6 million qualifying offer.  If the Nets release a couple of non-guaranteed contracts, they could make a an offer to a restricted free agent starting at around $24.5 million this season.  That might be enough to keep Golden State from matching an offer to Kuminga.

[Goldstar88]

What is Chicago doing? 


Bobby Marks: So when you dig around the Josh Giddey situation, who had a terrific year, certainly the last 25 games, he was offered four years, $80 million when free agency started, that number has gone up to four years, $88 million. That number is at the bottom of the starting point guards here. So, if you're the Bulls and you just committed five years, $90 million to Patrick Williams based on a lesser body of work, now you're all of a sudden drawing a line in the sand as far as where you are with Josh Giddey here.

[Donoghus]

What is Chicago doing? 


Bobby Marks: So when you dig around the Josh Giddey situation, who had a terrific year, certainly the last 25 games, he was offered four years, $80 million when free agency started, that number has gone up to four years, $88 million. That number is at the bottom of the starting point guards here. So, if you're the Bulls and you just committed five years, $90 million to Patrick Williams based on a lesser body of work, now you're all of a sudden drawing a line in the sand as far as where you are with Josh Giddey here.

Ladies & gentlemen,  Jerry Reinsdorf.

[Goldstar88]

The NBA has hired New York-based law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz to conduct an investigation into allegations that LA Clippers star Kawhi Leonard?s endorsement deal with a now-bankrupt environmental company was made to help his team and its billionaire owner, Steve Ballmer, circumvent the salary cap, a source with knowledge of the situation told The Athletic.
New York Times